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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* The latest USA Today/Suffolk University poll asked Republican voters for their response to Donald Trump’s federal indictment. A 51% majority said the charges don’t make a difference; 34% said his legal situation makes them less likely to vote for him, and 11% said they’re now more likely to support the former president.
* The Washington Post reports that a group of prominent Democrats, including former White House chief of Staff Ron Klain, have met with a group of Republican Trump critics to discuss how best to counter a possible third-party presidential bid from the No Labels organization.
* There’s a new super PAC, backed by seven-figure funding, devoted entirely to trying to defeat Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas. The first ad from the “Lose Cruz” operation is expected next week.
* Gov. Doug Burgum’s longshot Republican presidential campaign has picked up two U.S. Senate endorsements, though both come from the governor’s home state of North Dakota: NBC News reported that GOP Sens. Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven are now both backing Burgum.
* Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy isn’t just offering Trump support in the wake of his federal indictment, the entrepreneur also held a press conference yesterday outside of the courthouse where the former president was arraigned. Ramaswamy used the opportunity to reiterate his commitment to pardoning Trump after the 2024 elections.
* As Gov. Kristi Noem eyes a possible national campaign, the South Dakota Republican appears to have a bit of a staffing problem: Noem’s chief of staff is stepping down, becoming the fifth of her chiefs of staff to part ways with the governor since 2019.
* And while there was some chatter about former Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly returning to Indiana for a statewide bid in 2024, the current U.S. ambassador to the Vatican has reportedly decided to remain at his diplomatic post through 2024.